Flaming Lips: New adventures in sci-fi

"Ha, yes!" Ivins fairly gloats with the knowledge of another junkie made. "It's kinda loosely based on the series, where there was a war, and then the Cylons go off and do whatever, and keep evolving. Then, 40 years after this war, the Cylons come back and basically annihilate the human race, or whatever they are, whatever kind of people they are. Because it's supposed to be set in a galaxy far, far aw—okay, maybe not so far away," he corrects for trademark purposes. "They're gonna do this spin-off series that takes place on the planet in between, after the war (but before the Cylons return). And they're gonna deal with technology and all this weird philosophical stuff."

Lest you think Ivins has abandoned Trek for Galactica, he's quick to reaffirm his loyalties with a heartfelt declaration of solidarity: "Not that I'm saying that that makes Star Trek bad, or takes away from it. Because what I really love about Star Trek is basically the optimism."

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

Relax, baby—the Flaming Lips would never violate the Prime Directive

Reading between the lines, one could make a fairly serviceable argument that by plugging "Flaming Lips" in place of the various Star Trek titles, you'd have pretty accurate history of the band's relationship with their fans. Many years of loyalty, a fondness for certain eras over others, various characters coming and going, and the onset of a wildly popular chapter later in life. And driving it all is a combination of fervid imagination and optimism. If the Flaming Lips have a motto on the order of, "to boldly go where no man has gone before," Ivins sums it up as: "You get up in the morning, you eat some food, you go about your business, and try and have a good time. That's how we live our lives. And we try to have a fantastical evening for you."